


Something To Save

by canterofmysinnings



Series: Barlliams Songfic Challenge 2018-2020+ [14]
Category: Take That (Band)
Genre: Arguing, Awkwardness, Borscht (Soup) Eating, Bottle Spinning, Can't Spit It Out, Comedy, Confirmed Homophobia (Janet), Cuddling, Daydreaming, From Mutual Crush to Dating, George Michael listening, Implied Adopted Children, Implied Heteronormativity/Homophobia (Janet), Implied Married Life, Improv Rapping, Jealousy (Robbie), Love Confession by Rapping, M/M, Making Out, Neurodivergence (Robbie), Overthinking, Parent Walks In, Repressed Feelings, Robbie scratches a woman's car, Romantic Fluff, Teasing, implied happy ending, implied reunion, mild to moderate angst, public love confession
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-22
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:55:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26601781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/canterofmysinnings/pseuds/canterofmysinnings
Summary: Take That members Gary Barlow and Robbie Williams indeed enjoyed the current peak of their band's success as they were the talk of the town, ask a teen anywhere in Great Britain.They toured the country with a tremendous positive response, and the high of it all was well near unbelievable.With their countless songs about girls and love, teenage girls in Great Britain and even overseas wouldn't stop showering the boys in attention and hit singles.Known for remarkable heterosexuality on stage and kissing female fans, few had seen it coming that the heart breaker from Stoke was in love with the lead singer of the band, the Frodsham darling which held the world in the palm of his hand.Even fewer probably, had seen it coming that said Frodsham bloke would be in love with the Stoke lad as well...But so it was, and after several terribly torturous tours containing awkward glances, backstage flirting and stolen touching during interviews, Gary and Robbie finally decided to confront their feelings towards each other, which worked out rather, well... Why don't you see for yourself?
Relationships: Gary Barlow/Robbie Williams
Series: Barlliams Songfic Challenge 2018-2020+ [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1926196





	Something To Save

**Author's Note:**

> This is part 14 of my Transfer from Wattpad series, as well as my year-long Barlliams Songfic challenge.  
> Originally published at: 18/06/2018  
> Originally inspired by the song: No Regrets (and Ghosts)

November 1994

Another show well done, Gary and Robbie returned to their van with the other band members.   
In the seven-seater, Nigel sat in the front next to the driver. Gary, Robbie and Mark in the middle section, and Jay and Howard in the back.   
Poor Markie was so knackered that he fell asleep as soon as he had closed the van door and fastened his seat belt.   
Gary and Robbie found this pretty convenient, as they felt they could talk in privacy. They were all cosied up with blankets due to this winter being very cold and they had to take care of their voices.

Gary, being ever so prepared, had made himself a cuppa before leaving.  
Robbie caught himself staring longingly at the mug which was a part of the band's current merchandise.   
It was white, glazed with Take That symbols in different colours.

Gary noticed Robbie's wishful stares.   
"Hey now, whatcha staring at? It's my tea, made it myself, mate." He laughed.   
Robbie's face temporarily went blank like a toy which had been turned off by a toddler as his brain analysed the sentence Gary had just said.   
_Mate?_ He thought. _Mate? Did he just call me mate? After I've known him for so long and everything... Did he just- Does he think-_

Robbie snapped out of his thinking spell as a worried Gary poked him back to reality.   
"Robster? Are you alright? Are you cold?"   
Hundreds of thoughts flashed through Gary's mind as Robbie acted weirdly.   
_Is he sick? Is it a cold? Did he strain anything on stage? Is he dying? Will I lose him?_

"Nah I'm alright." Robbie smiled reassuringly. "I was just thinking."  
Gary was embarrassed at his jumping to conclusions, realising how that he had been overthinking. On another thought, he noticed how this behaviour had just started recently, which was peculiar and not something he had done before now...   
"Robbie Williams? Thinking about what? Oh now, don't flatter yourself!" Gary teased with a big smile.   
"I was thinking about your tea... I still want a sip, Barlow."  
Gary laughed and put the mug in Robbie's hands. "Okay, go on. But I'm warning you, it's probably cold by now."  
Robbie smiled in victory. "I don't care. A cuppa is a cuppa."  
He held the cup to his hands and smelled the tea before drinking it with dramatic movements, which made Gary giggle.   
"Wha... That's my favourite kind of tea." Robbie pointed at the empty mug, confused.   
Gary looked at his feet as Robbie had caught him red-handed.   
What really had happened in the kitchen backstage was that Gary wanted to drink tea, but all the other options were horribly cheap and smelt of nothing at all. Gary picked up the only teabag with a smell of tea, and that happened to be Robbie's favourite, which Gary recognised. He wondered how long it would take for Robbie to realise that as he boiled the water.   
"It was the only tea that wasn't cheap crap." Gary explained with a smirk, which Robbie reprocicated.   
"That's what I tell ya, I only like quality things!" Robbie said as he nudged Gary. The gesture flustered Gary.

The boys made it back to their hotel, and Nigel called out for them to get outside and enter their hotel room.   
Gary and Robbie both undone their seat belts. Both of them were just about to get out of the car as Robbie had an idea.   
"Gaz, stop! I will hold the door for you, okay?"   
Gary raised a sceptical eyebrow as he turned over to look at his bandmate. "No, you don't have to-"   
"No, but I insist! Please let me have this one."  
Robbie hastily escaped the car as Nigel shouted at them. "Gary, Robbie, get out already! It's late, and you have to get up early tomorrow for an interview!"   
Robbie shut out Nigel's profanities as he walked over to the other side of the car which was facing the road.   
He opened the car door to let Gary out. In the same moment, a car drove by too close and the van car door frictioned against the other car door, leaving a long, horizontal scratch on the side of the car.   
The driver rolled down her window, staring angrily at the two boys.   
"Are you crazy?" She exclaimed furiously.   
Robbie and Gary froze and looked at each other.   
Robbie slowly turned towards the woman, making eye contact with her. "No, afraid not, ma'am." He calmly said. "I'm Robbie Williams."

The woman didn't bat an eyelid at the fact that it was Gary Barlow and Robbie Williams from Take That in front of her. Just as angry as before, she rolled her eyes. She clearly didn't have teenagers in her household.

Gary pulled Robbie away from the car window as the woman was staring Robbie down, her anger escalating.   
"Go inside the hotel, Rob. I'll brief Nigel, so he can write her a check. We won't miss the money, we have plenty to give away anyway."

"Thank you so much." Robbie whispered to Gary and pressed his hand.   
Gary nodded and left.   
__  
Nigel had to go away for a meeting, which was a big relief for the boys.

Gary entered Robbie's hotel room and saw Robbie laying on the bed, reading a newspaper.  
He carried a little pot of soup with him, which was hot still, so he had to watch out.  
Unpacking it all, Gary found two cups for the soup and two spoons as well.   
When he had set the table, he sat down beside Robbie on the bed.   
"What's new?" Gary asked Robbie.   
Robbie shrugged and rested the magazine in his lap.   
"Nothing much. Just that the unemployment has fallen to under 2,500,000 for the first time since the end of 1991. Also, the first UK National Lottery draw is to take place in 3 days."  
Gary smiled at Robbie.   
"Are you going to participate in the lottery?" He nudged Robbie.   
Robbie looked up and down at Gary, then smirked. "I reckon you know me too well."

Gary leant in closer and they sat and just studied each other for a while.   
It felt as if the world around was a DVD player set on pause, only they were animated.   
Robbie looked at Gary, blinking slowly, looked from his eyes to his lips and to his eyes again.  
 _I can't believe this. This is perfect. I think he fancies me, doesn't he? Or is it just me? Come on, it's pretty plain to see... Just the look he gives me._

Gary looked back at Robbie in the comfortable yet awkward silence. He looked at his dark hair, which was glistening with sweat from dancing, and the way his eyelashes arched around his eyes when he blinked.   
The bridge of his nose, the curve of his lips, the-

_Robbie could not bring himself to say anything in the moment._   
_Gary changed position in the bed ever so softly._   
_He had eyes for Gary only as everything else seemed to be blurred out._

_Robbie couldn't help but to be drawn to the smaller man on the bed as they edged closer and closer to each other in a tranquil dreamlike state._

_Both men felt like their hearts were going to burst of joy as they leant in,_   
_Robbie holding Gary around his hips,_   
_Gary holding Robbie around his neck,_   
_And so they kissed, taking each other in._

"Robbie... Robbie? Eat your soup, or it'll cool!" Gary said to Robbie, snapping Robbie out of his dream.   
"What soup ?!" He exclaimed, then looked down and was baffled to see a cup of what looked like beet soup.  
"What is that?" Robbie asked, disheartened he couldn't just have something he knew what was.   
"It's borscht, a fan brought us this and trust me, it's amazing."  
Robbie stared into the red, hot mess of herbs and greens.   
Reluctantly, he picked up a spoon and ate a spoonful.

"So, how does it taste?" Gary asked Robbie.   
Robbie sighed. "It's sweet, I guess. Not too keen." Robbie picked up the cup and downed the entire soup, suddenly feeling void of emotions as it hit him that the dream image from earlier probably couldn't be more far from the truth. It was all in his head.   
He placed the cup on the table, and got up from his chair.   
"I don't like when you treat me like a child." He said to Gary, feeling numb, feeling like a fool.   
Gary instantly responded with scepticism. "You gotta be kidding me right now... I was having a normal conversation with you, not treating you like a child! Where did you even get that from!"   
Robbie kicked the table, totally clueless on what to feel. One thing he knew was that he couldn't bear to be repressed anymore.   
Gary was unhappy now, hurt and confused.   
"Robbie, what's with you? What did I say?"   
Suddenly it crashed down upon Robbie what could happen if he pushed Gary away.   
If Gary hated him, he one hundred percent wouldn't get to kiss him or hold him just as he wanted to do.   
Deep regret overwhelmed him, and he sat down again.   
"Sorry, just stressed. Can I get one cup of soup more, please?"   
"Suppose you can." Gary gritted his teeth as he poured the soup for Robbie.   
__________________________________  
It was getting harder for Robbie to hold back his feelings.   
He figured that he had to confess soon, or his angry outbursts would make him lose Gary forever.   
Unbeknownst to Robbie, he would soon get that opportunity.

Robbie, Gary, Howard, Jason and Mark played a spin the bottle game.   
Robbie was more on the edge than usual, and he swore that Gary was even more jittery than Robbie was.

Mark introduced the game after he'd finished his drink and everybody was done eating.   
"Okay guys, let's play spin the bottle. I dare someone to... Make a headstand." Mark spun the bottle. The bottlehead pointed to Howard.   
Howard got up from the table, and smiled mischievously.   
He walked to a free spot besides the table and promptly did a perfectly straight line headstand.   
The boys cheered at Howard and clapped.   
Gary and Robbie sat together at the table, at the place closest to the window.   
Gary sat with his back to the restaurant door, while Robbie on the other side with his back against the wall.   
Mark was utterly excited, as he picked up the bottle again and gave it to Howard.   
Howard thought about what to dare his friends.   
"I dare someone to drink a cup of extra spicy ketchup in one go!"   
He spun the bottle.  
It spun... And spun...   
And it pointed to Gary.   
Robbie felt his heart rate rise as he realised what Gary had been dared to do.   
He left his seat and walked to Gary's side, requesting to exchange places with Jason so that he could be close to Gary.   
As Howard waltzed off to order the ketchup, Robbie checked in with Gary.  
"Gaz, are you sure you can handle this? Don't want you to become sick..."  
Gary smiled at Robbie's affection.   
"I should be able to handle it, don't worry. Just pour me a glass of water."

Howard returned with the cup.  
Robbie took it from him and gave it to Gary.   
"Come on, Gary. Now is your time to shine." Howard teasingly remarked.

Robbie watched closely as Gary started to chug down the ketchup.   
Gary cringed at the spices and made a plethora of uncomfortable faces, but he kept on drinking it.   
A second, he almost stopped. Robbie was the first to notice this. Before anyone else could chip in to make him face defeat, he softly leant his head against Gary's. "Don't give up, you're almost there."  
This seemed to give Gary new energy as he chugged away now, more aggressively than before.   
The cup was transparent, and as Howard noticed it was empty, he cheered.   
"Victory! Gary, you win!"   
Robbie clawed the cup out of Gary's hand as Gary gasped for air and threw up some of the leftover ketchup into his plate.   
Robbie quickly gave him the glass of water.  
After downing the water, Gary coughed loudly. "THAT was the nastiest thing I've ever done!" He joked.   
Howard seemed pleased as he gave Gary the bottle.   
Gary thought long and hard about this one.   
"Okay, guys... I dare someone to kiss me on the cheek."  
Robbie's entire world froze as he tried to calculate the probability of someone that wasn't him kissing Gary.   
He figured it was 25% for him and the other guys.   
The bottle spun...   
And spun...   
And spun...   
And spun...   
And spun...   
And pointed at Jason.

Robbie sensed anger rise to his head as he felt a panic rush through his veins.   
_Of course it had to be bloody Jason to kiss Gary before I'd even properly held his hand. That's what I get for falling in love with my bandmate._

Gary felt faint as Jason approached him. This went wrong. Very wrong.   
_Why was I this stupid? I only want to kiss Robbie... Why hadn't I done that long ago? Why am I such a bloody coward?_

Jason was now next to Gary, and Jason took the place Robbie had left in dismay.   
Robbie stood in the corner, trying not to watch as Jason's lips moved closer to Gary's face.

Gary could smell Jason's deodorant as he was just a pinky finger's distance from his face.

Gary bit his lip as he reached out his arm and blocked Jason's access.   
"No. Don't kiss me."   
Jason pulled away, embarrassed. "What, why? It was your idea... Why would you turn me down all of a sudden? It's not like I want to full on snog you... In fact, I've been going out with Howard." Jason chuckled in disbelief and turned his back on Gary.   
"For me, a kiss on the cheek is a friendly gesture... For you, it isn't? Getting ahead of ourselves, are we, Barlow?"   
Jason started to walk away towards the toilets to deal with his embarrassment alone.   
Gary collected a spoon he had used to eat dessert with and threw it onto the plate angrily.   
"No...! Stay!" Gary exclaimed, drawing the complete attention of the four boys including Robbie, who was now staring at Gary with wide eyes.

"I don't want to kiss anyone of you... Only Robbie! I only want Robbie! I don't know why I dared this stupid thing. I thought it would work out. But it didn't. And I'm a fool."  
Gary inhaled,  
"I've been repressing my feelings for about a year. It has been eating away at me. I can't hold back any more."

Gary's entire body was shaking from nerves as he got up from his seat and walked towards Robbie.   
The three other boys didn't move an inch as they stood in stunned silence.   
"Robbie. I have to tell you something."  
Robbie gulped and got up, feeling a storm of butterflies inside his stomach.

Gary cleared his throat, then began to mumble a poem.   
"In my dreams I know that I have said, I've been waiting for this very day... I've been a fool, I have held back... The most important thing of all... I love you more than words can say... I've been wondering if this is too late... My ma told me to say what you feel and feel what you say... The day has come and this is real... Please tell me Robbie, what you feel?"  
Gary's eyes watered as he felt as light as a feather.

Robbie tried to think of something intelligible to say back, but then decided to let his heart out.   
"Dear Gary, you have no idea how happy you just made me... I'd go to hell and back for you, but to say I love you proved me a fool... They say young love can never last, how wrong is that? You've proved me fast - That love is here and love is all if you only take a chance - so tell me Gary Barlow, can I have this dance?"

Robbie had to dry his eyes with the back of his hand as the strange duet continued.   
"I love you more than words can say..." Gary improvised.   
Robbie smiled as he gained confidence. "I don't know how it is..."  
Gary moved closer to Robbie. "I never found the words to say..."  
Robbie's eyes filled with tears as he leant his forehead against Gary.   
"Will you go out with me?"   
Gary didn't move Robbie's head away, quite the opposite actually.   
"Well... Yes, I will."  
Taking advantage of being the smaller one, he moved his head to the side and nudged Robbie to move his head a bit to enable them to kiss.

They kissed,   
This time for real.

In the background, the rest of their bandmates could not comprehend what was happening, only that they were crying.

__________________________________

January 1995

The revelation that Gary and Robbie were dating now had little to no negative effect on their career.   
In fact, their career seemed to have reached an all time high.   
Now, what lied ahead of them was the nerve-wracking, make-or-break first meeting of each other's parents.

Robbie had met Gary's parents without much trouble. They were open-minded and kind.   
Now it was time for Gary to meet Robbie's parents.

At the date Robbie and Gary had chosen, only Robbie's mother was at home.

Robbie was upstairs with Gary.   
They were listening to music and talking about life while cuddling.   
Robbie inserted another CD into the player.   
"Do you know this one?" Robbie asked gently as the rhythms played from the speakers.   
"No, I don't really know. The track rings a bell, but..." Gary laughed.   
"It's George Michael." Robbie said dreamily.   
"Hmmm." Gary smiled and leant into Robbie's embrace.   
As the track flowed on, Robbie and Gary got a little more handsy with each other and were soon full on making out.

Robbie was in the process of unbuttoning Gary's shirt as his mother walked in without a warning.  
 _The worst possible moment. Out of all possible moments, she chose this one._

Robbie turned completely red as he threw the bed cover over Gary and got off the bed.   
"Ma... Could you possibly... Any chance you could leave _right now_?"   
He flashed his most innocent smile.   
"Huh... You don't usually hide anything from me. You're loud... having a girl over?"   
Robbie turned pale. "No, ma. A boy. I... I don't like girls that much."  
Robbie's mother looked from Robbie to the bed to Robbie again.   
"Okay, I feel like I interrupted you. Bye again."  
Robbie stormed over to Gary and removed the bed over off his body.   
"I'm so sorry..." He apologised. "I'm locking the door now."  
Gary protested, to his great surprise. "No need... It's pretty hot that someone might walk in."  
Robbie climbed onto the bed again.   
"I'm surprised you think so, but anything for you, my love. Now, where were we?"

**An awkward 30 minutes later**

Gary sat in the kitchen alone, as Robbie had to go to the bathroom.   
Robbie's mother Janet crossed paths with Gary.   
Gary politely greeted her. "Hi."  
Janet looked at Gary as if she was trying to remember something.   
"Hi. Have we met before?" She asked.   
"Maybe. My name is Gary Barlow, ma'am."  
"Gary Barlow from that band my son also is in?" Janet asked, still sceptical.   
"Right on the money." Gary laughed.   
Janet remained silent.   
"And why are you here exactly, Gary?"   
Gary looked Janet into her eyes.   
"Because I'm Robbie's boyfriend."

Janet squinted her eyes at Gary, which Gary absolutely didn't like.   
"My son never told me he likes boys." Janet said.   
"If only you knew how hard that is to tell to people." Gary looked down at the table he sat by.

As Janet continued to scrutinise Gary, he felt increasingly uncomfortable.   
"Do you cook?" Janet almost spat.   
"Yes." Gary said, feeling trapped like a criminal in interrogation.   
"Do you make your own living?" She asked, unimpressed.   
"Yes!" Gary hissed.   
"You do know you're not the only one who has come here saying they love Robbie, right?"   
Gary had come to his breaking point.   
"I don't care! He's with me now! He loved me! And please don't test me in my love!" Gary cried out as he left the kitchen.   
In the same moment, Robbie returned from the bathroom.   
Clueless, he stopped a fuming Gary.   
"Gaz... What's wrong? Why are you mad?"  
Gary sighed deeply. "Your mother was rude to me. She doesn't believe my love is good enough for you."  
Robbie tried to make sense of what he didn't witness.   
"Maybe she was just trying to protect me Gaz, you never know..."  
Gary stared Robbie down. "Protect you? She should know I'm nothing to worry about. I cook, I pay my bills, I love you... She doesn't believe me. I've had enough. I need to go home."  
Gary stomped through the hallway and outside, where he was long gone out of Robbie's sight.

Gary was his perfect love.   
Now he didn't even like his mother.   
Robbie felt like things were going terribly wrong.   
____________________________________  
 ** _VOICEMAIL TO GARY BARLOW (+44 1XX XXX XXX) 15/01/1995_**

**_HI GARY_ **   
**_IT'S ROBBIE_ **   
**_I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT YOU_ **   
**_ABOUT US_ **   
**_I DON'T BELIEVE THIS IS GOING ANYWHERE_ **   
**_SINCE YOU DON'T LIKE MY MOTHER AND MY MOTHER IS MY WORLD..........._ **   
**_IT'S OVER. I'M SO SORRY_ **   
**_R_ **

**_VOICEMAIL TO GARY BARLOW (+44 1XX XXX XXX) 17/05/2009_ **

**_HI GARY_ **   
**_IT'S ROBBIE_ **   
**_REMEMBER ME?_ **   
**_I WAS WONDERING IF YOU WANTED TO GO OUT SOMETIME..._ **   
**_I KNOW SOME GOOD PLACES DOWNTOWN_ **   
**_PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU CAN MAKE IT_ **   
**_YOURS SINCERELY_ **   
**_ROBBIE WILLIAMS_ **

**_VOICEMAIL TO GARY BARLOW (+44 1XX XXX XXX) 24/08/2011_ **

**_WHY AREN'T YOU ANSWERING YOUR PHONE LOVE, HAHA......... OH YOU HAVE A MEETING_ **   
**_MY BAD_ **   
**_HAHA..._ **   
**_[...]_ **   
**_DID YOU REMEMBER MILK AND EXTRA DIAPERS FOR THE LITTLE ONE?_ **   
**_YOURS TRULY_ **   
**_ROB_ **

**_🎶 I DON'T KNOW IF I'VE EVER TOLD YOU_ **   
**_I LOVE YOU IMMENSELY_ **   
**_I HAVE LOVED YOU_ **   
**_I LOVE YOU_ **   
**_I WILL LOVE YOU 🎶_ **


End file.
